This film by Goh Iromoto sheds light on the remarkable story of Grey Owl (Archibald Belaney), an Englishman who chose to take on the identity of a member of the First Nations people in Ontario, Canada. He was most noted for his work as a conservationist, protecting animals such as the beaver that were essential in maintaining the forests and landscapes in Ontario. Evidence of his work as a conservationist still remains today in Canada. This video also showcases the beauty of the boreal land in Temagami, Ontario, a place I was fortunate enough to experience on our canoe trip in August 2015. Itching to go back.
I have always wanted to see Alberta. Ever since my elementary school days, I remember completing research projects and hearing about the great national parks of the Rockies and knew that one day I would have to visit them. I just never thought it would be in the winter. We were fortunate enough to get vacation together and made our way to the great province of the strong and free. One of the best ways to trek through this winter wonderland is by snowshoe. Sarah and I set out to the woods around Lake Louise to have our go at traditional snowshoeing. Our guide, Paul, works at the Chateau Lake Louise, and has been leading trips through Banff for the past 30 years. He was a knowledgable man who had great respect for nature, ecology and the First Nations people. For the First Nations people who originally lived in the area, snowshoeing was much more than recreation, it was a way of life.
Different snowshoes for different environments
Ojibwe snowshoes, note the narrower profile for weaving between trees.
Paul emphasized, “there is no such thing as a perfect tool”. Each type of shoe was designed by different tribes who lived in different environments. The western prairie snowshoes were very wide allowing for the greatest distribution of weight. The people of these regions did not have to worry about navigating through trees and dense forests. The Algonquin and Ojibwe people however, made their shoes longer and more narrow to weave in and out of trees.
Lake Louise
listening to the forest
fir trees
snow angels
on the move
road
One of 5 bicentennial canoes, this one named “Osprey” undergoing restoration.
The temperature was actually quite warm for the region at about -15 celsius, with fresh snow falling. As we made our way through the trails, I was surprised at just how well the shoes worked. We glided through the forest with ease and comfort. Fir trees towered all around us and we trekked kilometers in peace and quiet with the magnificent sight of the Rockies all around us. I was also surprised to learn that Paul constructed several of his own shoes. These beautiful shoes were not only pieces of art, but more importantly for the First Nations people, an essential tool for survival during the harsh Alberta winters.
In July 2015, we set out to explore the turquoise waters and white quartzite mountains of Killarney Provincial Park. The landscape inspired countless works by Canada’s Group of Seven Artists. This is a video of our trip. Filmed on several different cameras: Sony Nex5, Nikon 5200, GoPro Hero 2, Iphone 5 and 6.
“Dave and Amy Freeman will embark on a yearlong adventure in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in support of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters’ efforts to protect the Boundary Waters from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on the Wilderness edge. The two will travel more than 3,000 miles by canoe and dog team as they explore more than 500 lakes and streams throughout the year. The journey will begin on September 23, 2015, the fall equinox, on the edge of the Boundary Waters in Ely, Minnesota, and conclude with a paddle along the proposed sulfide-ore copper mining’s path of pollution through the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park. In 2014, Dave and Amy traveled by canoe and sailboat from Ely to Washington, DC, on the Paddle to DC as a first step in their efforts to protect the Wilderness.” – savetheboundarywaters.org
Please help show your support for the boundary waters by visiting the website and signing their petition. Mining affects many of our great canoeing regions. This reminds me of the Temagami region in Ontario and the pressure that mining companies constantly exert on our pristine wilderness areas. What’s unique to the BWCA is the special place it holds in the hearts of many of the American veterans. It serves as a healing place for many of these veterans and is the least we can do as a country to protect it for them.
A solid 3.5 hour drive from Richmond, Lake Moomaw is high in the mountains near the West Virginia border.
The leaves drifting from the trees in the Virginia mountains, signal the end to another canoe camping season. Min and I decided to go for one final run. It was unusually warm at Lake Moomaw up in the George Washington National Forest with temperatures in the 70s F during the day. It was a quiet couple of days with very little activity on the lake, and as usual we were the only paddlers on the lake. We had our pick of many campsites and enjoyed the peace and quiet. The only the sounds were from of shedding foliage, owls and birds of all types.
Start of the paddle out to our campsite
Wetterlings Hunter’s Axe
Japanese Single Malt
Sunset
After setting up camp, we set out to gather firewood. One of the things I like most about Virginia camping is the abundance of firewood in these deciduous forests. There were countless fallen frees in the area that were nice and dry. The area also appears to be lightly camped and as such we did not have to look far to find what we needed. The Wetterlings Hunter’s axe with it’s wider wedge, made for light work of splitting in combination with my Ray Bears bucksaw. It was also a great opportunity to put my Finnish blade the “Enzo trapper” to use. It is a full tang work horse and can easily baton through wood to make kindling and is sharp enough to produce fine feathersticks.
Gathering firewood
We enjoyed some Japanese whiskey and took in the autumn beauty, Min even had some luck fishing off the coast. Of all the wildlife we heard, I was most surprised to hear the distinct cry of a couple of loons. Initially I thought my ears had deceived me – I didn’t think loons were this far south? However upon further research, it appears that many of them migrate south during this time of the year along the east coast and through Virginia.
foliage
mirror
Scandi grind
Min and his trophy
campsite
stars
Min was nice enough to prepare all of the meals for the trip. We ate some delicious chicken breasts with rice and beans for dinner. Min actually pre-cooked the chicken so all we had to do was heat it with the rice in the cooking pot. There’s nothing quite like a warm meal on a chilly night by the campfire. We ate under the stars with breathtaking visibility. The photos I took on this trip are from a sony a6000 that I’m still learning to use. In the morning for breakfast, we had egg white omelettes with green peppers and onions. Cooking with the Trangia alcohol stove is incredibly easy and has reduced preparation time drastically.
heating the embers
reflector oven in action
The stove weighs practically nothing and the fuel burns efficiently. We used to cook by campfire however soon learned that cleaning the soot off pots and pans took way too much time, not to mention the constant tending to the fire to assure a steady heat. The Svante Freden reflector oven from Sweden is also a must on canoe camping trips. It has been a trusty companion and we used it to to prepare some hot cornbread using a recipe courtesy of Ralph in Ottawa, Canada (much appreciated!).
cornbread
bacon, eggwhites, green peppers and onions
sunrise
tent
To me, Lake Moomaw holds the title of a true Virginia gem. While there are several campsites in Virginia with lakes, only here can you get the backcountry experience of paddling to your site and setting up camp, far away from others. I can now say that I’ve camped here in 3 of the 4 seasons, spring, summer and now fall. Fall just might be my favorite. Great way to end the season.
From Richmond, a short 30 minute ride can get you to the middle of nowhere
When we received word that 100 trick or treaters were descending upon us for halloween, we decided to get ready. It was a perfect day to pick pumpkins. We went to the Lloyd Family Farm about a half hour away. The farm was pretty packed with visitors and fall activities, like hayrides, corn mazes, halloween tours and of course pumpkin picking. Apparently, black widow spiders live under pumpkins, who knew?
